During Thanksgiving, most people are sitting around the kitchen table eating turkey and talking with family and friends.

But for some, that is not the case. Retail workers will instead spend the time preparing stores for Black Friday.

For “Sarah,” a part-time retail employee who asked that her real name not be used, Thanksgiving means long hours without spending time with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.

“I work 7:30 p.m. Thursday to 1 a.m. Friday. Then I must work a 10-hour shift, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with only a 30-minute break for lunch,” Sarah said. “I am sure that I will either miss dinner with our family or scarf part of a meal very quickly.”

Many other retail employees are in the same situation as Sarah.

The last few years have seen businesses inch up their opening hours to stay ahead of the competition when it comes to Black Friday sales. Some stores are not closing at all on Thanksgiving Day.